Chair lift
The chair lift is one of the best ways to enjoy Mt. Sanbe’s beautiful landscape. During the 10-minute ride, you can see flowers in each season and if you are lucky you can see cows nearby. When the lift is about to get to the top, please try to look back! You can see the whole city and mountains. Be sure not to drop belongings from the lift and try not to fall from the lift.
The fee for the chair lift for adults (over 13 years old) for a round-trip ticket is 650 yen and for kids (from three to 12 years old) . A round-trip ticket is 450 yen. You can buy a one-way ticket (kids 300 yen, adults 450 yen) and climb down yourself on the hiking path. You have to check the time carefully at the top of mountain in the evening. You have to get back to the chair lift for going down by 4:30. Sometimes their business time are changed depending on the weather, so please be careful of the weather too.
Mt. Sanbe actually contains five mountains, otoko(man)-sannbe(男三瓶山), onna(woman)-sanbe(女三瓶山), ko(kid)-sanbe(子三瓶山) and mago(grandchild)-sanbe(孫三瓶山) and taiheisan(大平山). After taking the chair lift, you can enjoy climbing. There are signposts for the approximate walking time to each of these mountains. From the chair lift, it takes 20 minutes for onna-sanbe, 80 minutes for otoko-sanbe, and 75 minutes for ko-sanbe. You can enjoy rich nature and wild animals, such as birds, by watching. To protect nature, please don’t pick the plants.
The nearest mountain to the chair lift drop off is Taiheisan(大平山), which is a 3-minute walk away. And there is a small observatory near the chair lift. If you come with little kids you can enjoy these two very much without climbing for more than 30 minutes. Be sure to wear sneakers because the path is slippery.
Chair lift
Business time: 8:30 ~ 4:50 (top 4:30)
Closed: every Tuesday, and some other days if there is bad weather
There is a huge parking lot.